Redemption
by IMPhoenix
Summary: How can Roxanne and Megamind be together, Metro Man retire, and Megamind be accepted in society as good, with no new villains and no fake deaths? Here's my version.  AU/AR. Sequel to "Revenge" and "Beginning, or First Date  With No Kidnapping "
1. Anniversaries

**"Redemption"**

PLOT SUMMARY: How can Roxanne and Megamind be together, Metro Man retire, and Megamind be accepted in society as good, with no new villains and no fake deaths? Here's my version. Pre-movie, AU/AR. Sequel to "Revenge" and "Beginning, or First Date (With No Kidnapping)."

DISCLAIMER: DreamWorks owns the sandbox. I'm just playing in it.

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><p><strong>AUTHOR NOTES:<strong>

Thank you to nineteennintytwo for beta reading and making some vocabulary suggestions, grammar/ punctuation corrections, and a few other changes. Also, thanks to all who posted reviews on the stories that precede this one. I've incorporated some suggestions made by a few of you.

You might be able to skip "Beginning" (although you'll miss some character development, especially regarding Roxanne, and the introduction of original characters who show up again in "Redemption,"), but some major plot events in later chapters of this story won't make sense unless you read "Revenge."`

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><p><strong>Chapter 1. Anniversaries <strong>

"What do you want to do for our anniversary?"

Roxanne looked up from her laptop, a quizzical expression on her face. "Anniversary?"

"Yes, anniversary. In a few days we will have been officially dating for one month. Isn't it traditional for couples to celebrate these dates?" Megamind had tended to obsess about dating traditions from the beginning. Some of those were really sweet, like the flowers.

"So in what way do you think we should celebrate?" Roxanne asked.

"In whatever way you like."

Roxanne rolled her eyes. She got up, walked over and sat next to him on her couch. "Spending time with you is special enough. I don't expect a gift-"

Megamind looked slightly worried. "It's traditional for the man to get the lady a gift?"

"Stop worrying. Different couples do things differently. The important thing is that they agree on how they want to handle things."

"So how do you want to handle things?"

"How about by ignoring it?" Megamind looked crestfallen, and Roxanne relented. "If you want to do something, just tell me."

"Well, I've been reading online," he began (Roxanne thought, _always a dangerous activity_), "and it seems like most couples celebrate anniversaries by going out to dinner at a fancy restaurant."

Roxanne thought back on their various dates. At first, both wanted to spend time as themselves, without Megamind in disguise. That ruled out lots of traditional dating activities, like movies, concerts, restaurants, museums, even outdoor activities in the daytime. So their time together was spent mostly at night, going to out of the way places in the country or the woods: stargazing, walks, boat rides, flying on his hoverbike (she especially enjoyed the latter- it was exhilarating). Then they moved on to dinners at her apartment, watching movies on DVD or playing board games or video games. Megamind had seemed reluctant to spend time with her at the Lair, and refused to make any plans for that location. She was a little hurt, wondering if he still didn't completely trust her. She would even have been willing to be blindfolded or wear that special helmet. But, she told herself sternly, there could be another reason entirely. She had chosen not to press the issue yet.

"Does this mean you want to try going out in disguise? I thought you weren't comfortable going to restaurants that way."

"I'll admit I haven't been in the past. But, Roxanne, I feel badly about limiting you because of my….unique appearance."

"I really don't care; I just want be with you."

Megamind smiled. "I love hearing you say that."

"Well, it's true," and she squeezed his hand.

"Thank you, but I still want to try going out with you to do 'normal' dating activities, which means in disguise."

"How about this? Let's start with something that might be easier, something not in an enclosed space, like bike riding or a walk in the park in daylight. If that goes well, we can work our way up to restaurants." He agreed.

"So, I'll wear a disguise for our first anniversary date. What normal outdoor thing would you like to do?"

"I don't care. What would you like?"

"But I want to make sure it's some activity that you'll be pleased with."

Roxanne was getting a little frustrated. "This anniversary thing is more important to you than to me. Therefore you should pick. In fact, I would like you to pick. It relieves me of the burden."

"Oh."

As Megamind contemplated that information, Roxanne added, "Look, I really need to get my report finished. Give me about 20 to 30 more minutes, and I should be done."

While Roxanne went back to pecking at her keyboard, Megamind thought about what to do for the anniversary. If the traditional activity of dinner at a restaurant was out, what could they do? He wanted it to be something different…. special…. maybe exciting. He reviewed in his head the various dates they had shared, trying to judge what activities Roxanne seemed to like best. By the time Roxanne was done with her project, he had made a decision.

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><p>He told her to dress for riding, but to meet him in front of her apartment at 2:00 in the afternoon. He refused to describe his disguise, saying he wanted to see how fast she could pick him out. When she walked out into the sunshine, she had no problem. He had to be the slender man dressed in black leather, studs all over the jacket, standing next to the blue and black motorcycle. His long black hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and he was sporting a goatee and mustache. As she approached him, there was no doubt when she saw his bright green eyes. "Thanks for the flowers. They were beautiful, as always."<p>

"You're welcome, as always." He leaned in close and whispered, "Happy anniversary."

Roxanne nodded toward the vehicle. "Nice bike. Where did you get it?"

"I stole it," he whispered gleefully.

"You _what_!" Roxanne exclaimed, aghast.

"Ha! Got you! Just kidding. I made it from spare parts I bought on Ebay, for a _steal_! Ha! Of course, it also has some of my own modifications."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"You liked riding the hoverbike so much. I thought you would like to try riding a human motorcycle. My plan is for us to go out into the country where we can go fast, then have a picnic in the park up north."

"That sounds fine."

"And here's your helmet. Besides being safer for you, I thought it would also help hide your identity as we drive through the city."

"Good idea."

Megamind was careful as they sped down the city streets. It did seem pretty tame after the hoverbike, but she wouldn't tell him that. He might interpret that as her asking him to be more reckless.

As they reached the outskirts of the city, Megamind pulled over. Twisting back to face her, he said, "I have a request. I've added a safety harness to the bike. I'd like you to wear it."

"Motorcycles don't have seat belts."

"I've just told you; mine does, for you. It would make me feel more comfortable when we go faster if you had more protection."

Roxanne sighed, "All right."

Once he had Roxanne secured to his satisfaction, he began to drive more quickly. Megamind had plotted their route to go on back roads and twisty lanes to give Roxanne a more thrilling ride. Roxanne had expected it to be less exciting than the hoverbike, but found that the feeling of gravity was greater, and the closeness to the ground gave its own sense of danger and adventure.

Megamind always enjoyed going fast, but it was even better feeling Roxanne's arms around him, tightening as they took the turns and corners. There wasn't much talking, but on occasion she would exclaim over a particular turn, or mention something about the scenery.

They were going down a long straight section, and Megamind took the opportunity to accelerate. Suddenly they heard the sound of a police siren, and there were blue and red lights flashing behind them. With a sinking feeling in her chest, Roxanne was trying to plot out the possible scenarios, and how to exert damage control, when Megamind told her to hold on tightly, and the motorcycle surged forward.

"What are you doing?" she yelled at him, but got no response from him. She wasn't sure if he was ignoring her, or couldn't hear her over the increased roar of the engine. She was starting to feel a little bit scared and, frankly, irritated with him. He had promised no more criminal behavior, and here he was, running away from the police.

She dared to take a quick glance behind her. The police car was still in pursuit, but they were slowly pulling away from it. Megamind took the first turn to the right, faster than she would've preferred. It was a little frightening how much they leaned toward the ground. "Why are you running away? You'll be in even more trouble if they catch you," she yelled toward his ear.

"Oh, they're not going to catch me!" he shouted back at her. And he made a decidedly evil laugh.

He made another hard, quick turn. They were approaching a more wooded area, closer to the county park. He suddenly decelerated, and turned into an area beneath a stand of trees. They were not far from the road when he stopped and shut off the engine. She could still hear the sirens, and watched the police car approach and then race past on the road. "I'm surprised they didn't notice us," Roxanne stated.

"Please, Roxanne, give me a little credit. I am a genius after all. You're an intelligent woman. Surely you can figure out what I've done," Megamind said with exasperation.

Her irritation at him was increasing, but she didn't want to admit that she didn't know what he meant. She glanced around, and finally noticed the shimmer. "Oh. Do you put an invisibility shield on all your vehicles?"

Megamind shrugged his shoulders. "When you have the technology, why not use it?"

Roxanne started fiddling with her safety harness, but was having a little trouble with the fastener. "What are you doing?" asked Megamind.

"Getting off this bike," Roxanne snapped.

Megamind looked puzzled, but then offered, "Here, let me help you."

"For a genius, you sure made a really stupid design here. A person ought to be able to unbuckle herself!" As soon as he released her, she dismounted from the bike and strode away from it, tossing her helmet to the ground.

Megamind was a little annoyed, thinking that Roxanne was acting unreasonably. But he was also feeling somewhat scared. Things between them had gone so well for an entire month. (Alright, there had been a few bad moments, like that time he apparently misunderstood something she said, and thought she wanted to have a picnic _up in the trees_. She had gamely gone along with it, thinking it was something _he_ wanted. The whole incident had been a fiasco, embarrassing, but Roxanne had laughed about it later. It hurt him when she teased him about it, but he said nothing, to avoid a confrontation. He wished she would pretend it never happened.)

But overall things had been good. He had felt that Roxanne truly cared for him, and their relationship was growing… deepening. She'd not been really angry with him since that night in the Lair. He was afraid of losing her, and he didn't understand why she was upset. Today was supposed to be a celebration of their relationship; now something had gone terribly wrong. But he couldn't figure out what it was. He approached her warily. She'd stop walking, but her back was to him, and her arms were crossed.

Roxanne was thinking that she hadn't expected this. Things between them had been going so well. (Alright, there had been a few awkward moments. Like that time in the second week when he had tried to serenade her on the balcony- another bad idea he got reading on the Internet. She had to tell him to stop, fearing the neighbors would think she was torturing animals out there. He had been hurt, and sulked for a day. When she tried to tease him about it later, he pretended it had never happened. She thought he was being childish, but she let it go.)

Still, overall the relationship was satisfying. She had become comfortable with him, and was very fond of him. In one short month, she'd become accustomed to the daily contact, the regular dates, and, yes, the physical affection. She didn't want to give it up. But she couldn't ignore this; it could be the beginning sign of a real problem.

Hesitantly, Megamind asked her, "What's wrong?"

She turned around, her arms still crossed, and explained, "You promised me, promised me, you wouldn't engage in any more criminal behavior. But you just ran away from the police, after speeding!"

Megamind exclaimed in frustration, "Well, I didn't hear little Miss Daredevil telling me to slow down _before _the police started chasing us. And what did you expect me to do, stop for them?"

"Well, that's what a law-abiding citizen would do," Roxanne retorted.

"As the nosy reporter who's been covering my activities for all these years, you ought to know that I haven't been a law-abiding citizen for my entire adult life, at least not until very recently. Evading the police is kind of a habit with me. It's basically instinctual."

Relenting a little, Roxanne grudgingly acknowledged, "I guess I can understand that reaction."

"But besides that, have you considered what could've happened if I had stopped?"

"They would have given you a speeding ticket, big deal."

Megamind sighed. "First off, I don't have a driver's license. As I told you before, I don't have citizenship. No legal status, no driver's license. And if I had one, it certainly wouldn't match the face I'm wearing at this moment. I would have to suddenly come up with a story, a fake name. I'll admit I'm a little sketchy about all the procedures for speeding tickets. What if they would want to take my picture? I know nothing about the man whose image I'm wearing. What if he's wanted by the police? Let's say for some reason they decide to haul me back to the police station or to jail. What then ?

"Now let's talk about the possible effect on you. If we were lucky, they might not ask you to take off your helmet, or look too closely through your visor and recognize you. But what if they did? How are you going to explain this, being discovered on the back of a motorcycle that was stopped for speeding? I don't know if it would have any negative impact on your career, but I didn't want to take the risk."

"It's actually possible that my celebrity status could have convinced the cops to let us off with a warning," Roxanne replied.

"That may be, but I'm not used to thinking of you protecting me; my attitude has always been that I should be protecting you."

Her arms had finally become uncrossed. Roxanne softly asked, "Even when you were kidnapping me?"

"Well, protecting might not be exactly the right way to say it. Maybe, 'keeping you safe.'"

They were both silent, than Roxanne said, "I'm sorry for getting angry with you. Now I understand why you handled the situation that way."

"I'm sorry if I frightened you, or made you uncomfortable or anxious. I'm not used to having to worry about things like speed limits. When you drive an invisible car, traffic laws don't apply."

After another pause, Megamind asked, "Is this where we get to kiss and make up?"

"I suppose so, yes, but I'm not comfortable kissing you when you're looking like another person."

"Then let's go back to the bike, and take advantage of the invisibility shield." As they walked back to the motorcycle, Megamind asked her, "Still in the mood for the picnic in the park?"

"That depends. What's on the menu?"

"All your favorites, of course."

"Well, all right then." Roxanne thought, _I really shouldn't tell him that it was kind of exciting fleeing from the police. He might arrange to make it happen again_.

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><p>Megamind wanted to continue to use the disguise watch so that they could do more types of activities. They debated whether he should keep with one disguise, or use a variety. They started with one, mainly because Roxanne thought it might be easier on her. He showed her a selection of options, and let her pick. It helped that whatever his disguise, Megamind's brilliant green eyes were always there in the stranger's face, looking back at her. But after a few outings (a bike ride, a trip to the cinema, and the art museum), someone at work asked about that guy with the brown hair and glasses that she had been seen with. So Megamind tried varying the disguises, a different one every time. Then someone said something about her playing the field, and wasn't she dating Metro Man? (Even Tina was giving her strange looks, although she continued to ask no questions.) That did it; Roxanne was ready to try a disguise of her own.<p>

Actually, in the beginning, it was rather fun and exciting. He taught her how to capture images of people to use with the disguise watch. Megamind took her to the airport, because they were more likely to sample people who did not live in Metro City. She teased him about whether he would like her to be a redhead or a blonde, or if he would prefer someone who looked Asian or Middle Eastern. He insisted he preferred brunettes, and wanted her to find someone who looked at least a little bit like herself. She asked if he would do the same for her, and he rolled his eyes. "Yes, point out the next blue skinned, big headed person you see, and I'll do just that."

After practicing with the more mundane outings, they were finally ready to try the dinner at the fancy restaurant that Megamind had requested. Even though Megamind maintained it did not matter what she wore, Roxanne insisted on wearing her favorite purple dress with the ruffles. She thought it would help her feel more in the mood for the occasion. To humor her, Megamind wore his all-black outfit and skipped the cape. His dark-haired, Eurasian character was wearing a black suit with a bright blue tie that had a pattern of tiny lightning bolts. To please Roxanne, Megamind had twiddled with the programming so that the short haired brunette Roxanne had selected for her disguise was wearing a dress very similar to her actual attire.

At first, everything went well. All right, Roxanne almost burst out laughing when she heard the name Megamind used for the reservation. ("Mr. Blue, I can't believe you did that." "It's B-L-E-U, and it's pronounced bleh-oo, and it's French." "Yes, for blue.") He'd ordered champagne, and they toasted their 'second' anniversary.

While waiting for their food to arrive, a couple came to their table, the man looking excited and the woman hesitant. "Miss Ritchi, would you please give us your autograph? We're big fans of your work."

Roxanne glanced at Megamind, to her disguise device and back to his eyes. He shook his head slightly, but said in a bright voice, "Didn't I tell you how much you look like that local TV reporter- what was the name again, Miss Ridgely? But you didn't believe me." "Turning to the man, who was now looking confused, he explained, "We're from out of town, but I come here sometimes on business. I've seen the local news, and I told my girlfriend she looks so much like one of the local reporters, she could be her sister."

"I told you that wasn't Roxanne Ritchi, Kevin. We are so sorry to have interrupted you. Enjoy your stay in Metro City." The woman grabbed the man's hand and towed him away, saying faintly, "I can't believe you embarrassed me that way."

Megamind caught Roxanne's eye and they both burst out laughing. She leaned toward him and whispered, "I was afraid for a moment that the device had malfunctioned."

"No, you just did a really good job of selecting a woman who is similar to you in appearance. Even if it had, it wouldn't be a big deal. You could just pass me off as a cousin from out of town, or an old friend from college-"

"Or a representative from a station in a bigger market trying to woo me to a new job. If it was your watch on the fritz-"

"I would have to duck under the table."

As they ate their meal, they fed each other bites of their respective entrée. Megamind considered it a personal tradition, going back to the first time they ate together, and Roxanne didn't mind humoring him. They both agreed everything was excellent. "It had better be, at these prices," murmured Roxanne.

"Hush, dear," responded Megamind, "I can afford it. I have news: I've made another sale."

"Oh, Meg- , Michael, that's wonderful! I would say_, Monsieur Bleu_, that this calls for another toast."

"And what are we toasting?"

"Why, to your new career as the incredibly handsome mechanical genius and master of all invention." They clinked their glasses, and Roxanne added "I'm so proud of you." Megamind smiled shyly, and under his disguise, she was sure he was blushing.

"Really, it wasn't even one of my better ideas," Megamind said, and waved his hand dismissively-knocking into a tray of drinks being carried by a waiter. At first Roxanne thought the server would recover; he wavered the tray back and forth, and she saw the glasses lurch from side to side. Then, to her horror, they all tumbled over, some of the liquid falling onto Megamind. The disguise gave a flicker, and she jumped up, pushed him toward the floor, and hissed, "Under the table, quick."

He did as she asked, but whispered back, "Why?"

Roxanne stuck her head briefly under the tablecloth, and said, "Look at your hands." He did as she directed, and watched them flicker tan to blue and back again. Now the horror was on his face also. "I'll pay the bill, and get us out of here somehow. Stay there," Roxanne directed. Megamind nodded, and looked again at his hands, flickering between colors.

Roxanne decided a frontal assault would work most effectively. Pointing her finger at the server trying to clear up the scattered glasses and ice, she commanded, "You there, bring me our bill immediately, or we're leaving without paying." As the waiter started to rise, she added, "And bring a fresh tablecloth along with it. Now!" The waiter scampered to do her bidding, as Roxanne tapped her foot, trying to look imperious, but not making eye contact with anyone. The manager hurried over, and began to apologize profusely. He was offering her free desserts, an extra bottle of wine with their unfinished meal, but she cut him off. "Look, we don't have any trouble with paying the bill. But we're leaving now, and I need a fresh tablecloth to go. I promise to send it back. Or will pay for it if you insist."

The manager was extremely puzzled, and insisted, "But why do you need a tablecloth?" Roxanne scrambled for some sort of explanation. "My date; he was drenched by the drinks, and he's terribly aquaphobic. He had a traumatic experience as a child with …. a fire hydrant. Sends him right into a panic attack to get hit with liquid unexpectedly. It helps him calm down to, ah, be completely covered with a dry cloth," Roxanne explained, as the waiter hurried up with the bill and the tablecloth. "Oh, good."

She glanced at the bill, quickly calculated a generous tip, and threw the appropriate amount of cash on the table. Practically ripping the tablecloth from the waiter's hand, she squatted down and looked under their table. By this time, Megamind was clearly blue in the face. She handed over the dry tablecloth, saying "Come on, Honey, let's get you out of here and back to the hotel." Megamind completely covered himself before slowly coming out from under the table. Roxanne put her arm around him, and guided him out of the restaurant. With her free hand, Roxanne was speed dialing Minion. Now she was really glad he had insisted on chauffeuring them to the restaurant because parking in the area was horrendous.

She instructed him to meet them as close to the entrance as possible. By the time they made their way outside the restaurant, the car, disguised as a nondescript black sedan with dark tinted windows, was only a short distance away. She helped Megamind into the car, and Minion drove away quickly. As soon as the door was shut, Megamind pulled the tablecloth off his head, and Roxanne twisted her watch to regain her natural appearance. "You were magnificent, Roxanne." They looked at each other and laughed hysterically. "Aquaphobic? Is that even a real condition?" Megamind asked.

"I think so," Roxanne answered. "I remember doing some kind of report about phobias years ago. But, it doesn't really matter; I just had to say something. I guess we can't use those disguises again."

"Well, at least not at that restaurant."

"At least we got to eat most of our meal."

"And we drank almost all the champagne."

"Happy anniversary."

"Happy anniversary." Minion, glancing in the rearview mirror, saw them kissing, and smiled.

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><p><strong>AUTHOR NOTES:<strong>

****If you enjoyed this, a review/ feedback would be appreciated.**  
><strong>

The incident with the bumped tray of drinks is based on an actual event that occurred two days before I wrote this chapter, when my family went to a restaurant. My husband hit the tray while gesturing as he talked. But he didn't need to hide after being splashed with the liquid.

When I started plotting out this story, I had read about 30 to 40 Megamind fanfiction stories out of the 350-400 on the website at the time. (At the time of this posting, there are over 500.) I was trying very hard to not duplicate others' ideas. My reading of others' stories slowed down considerably, as my obsession became writing and rewriting my own work. It was frustrating to encounter ideas in other's stories that, I swear, I came up with on my own. But, we are all using the same source material (the movie, Megamind), so some replication is to be expected. I finally decided I would just go with my original plot outline. If people think I'm 'copying,' there's nothing I can do about it. If you stick with me to the end of chapter 4 of "Redemption," you'll probably know what I'm talking about.


	2. Confessions

"**Redemption"**

DISCLAIMER: (DreamWorks owns the sandbox; I'm just playing in it.)

Thank you to nineteennintytwo for beta reading and making suggestions for changes. Also, thanks to all who posted reviews on the first chapter and on the stories that precede this one. I do consider your input.

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><p><strong>Chapter 2. Confessions<strong>

As their third "anniversary" approached, Megamind started to get nervous. He constantly reminded himself that Roxanne had given no sign that she was tiring of their relationship. If anything, she seemed more smitten with him than ever. She initiated the calls, the text messages, and their dates as much as he. They spoke every day, sometimes several times a day, even if only briefly. When he had asked for a three month trial period of dating, he never expected they would have so much contact with each other. At best he thought she might consent to see him once a week. He had actually suggested three months with the idea that she would counter with one month, and he could extract a promise of two. As the third month drew to a close, another deadline was approaching. He had promised himself he would finally come clean with Roxanne.

"For our third anniversary, I want to surprise you."

Roxanne looked at him with a smile. "Doesn't telling me sort of defeat the purpose of a surprise."

"If I said nothing, you might think I had forgotten."

"I've told you before; I'm not big on celebrating anniversaries. It's all right with me to ignore them. We should just celebrate Life," Roxanne said in an exaggerated tone. Megamind rolled his eyes.

"Well, given what happened at our last anniversary celebration, I can see why you might feel that way," Megamind conceded.

"Actually, except for the five minutes of panic when I thought we might be outed, it was a lot of fun. Afterwards, even the moments of panic seemed kind of funny. You know we've both laughed about it."

"Yes, it retrospect it does seem amusing. But as I said, I want to do something special and it will be a surprise. Think of it, as a "planned kidnapping-"

"Oh, horrors, not the knockout spray and that awful bag."

"Of course not, but you will be taken somewhere unexpected, and the events might even be 'shocking.'" Megamind leered at her. She laughed.

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><p>He had told her to wear the purple dress, and be downstairs in front of her apartment at 7 PM. Minion would be picking her up in the black sedan version of the car. "You're expecting a lot of cooperation from your kidnap victim."<p>

"Pretend I have something valuable you want back and your cooperation is the price of the return."

"Are you feeling nostalgic for the old days?"

He gave an evil laugh, and said dramatically, "Miss Ritchi, you will do as you are told or you will never see -insert name of valued item here- _again_!"

Roxanne snickered and said, "All right, villain, I will follow your directions."

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><p>Minion was prompt, as usual, wearing the familiar chauffeur disguise. But when she got into the back seat, Megamind greeted her with a stern expression rather than the usual kiss, and was wearing a new disguise. Roxanne sighed inwardly. He was taking the playacting to a new extreme, but if it makes him happy….<p>

"Miss Ritchi, you have two options: the knockout spray or the blindfold."

"I'll take option number two." The blindfold was tight, but not uncomfortable. But fortunately, once this was done, he gave up the playacting and reverted to his usual self. He asked the normal questions about her day and her work. He held her hand, and at times put his arm around her. At one point he started playing music, asking her opinion and offering his own. This was unusual, so she started to suspect it was a trick to distract her from tell-tale sounds that might indicate their destination.

When the car finally came to a complete halt, and Minion turned off the motor, Megamind told her firmly, "Wait here, and leave on the blindfold." She could hear him leave the car, but then the door on her side opened, and she heard him say, "I'm going to pick you up and carry you."

"I can walk," she protested.

"Oh no, it's part of the surprise." She tried to figure out where they were, and she had a suspicion, because the space seemed open and large, but indoors. But the smells were not quite right. Yes, there was an undercurrent of machinery odors, but there was also a floral scent, and something else, maybe vanilla, and something spicy. She could hear music, very faintly, and not Megamind's usual preference (the heavy metal rock). It was softer, gentle, and instrumental. The music gradually got louder, and finally she had the sense that they were in a smaller room. He placed her in a chair, but told her "just a minute more." She could hear him moving around the room, and very shortly thereafter her blindfold was removed.

She saw that she was back in that room in the Lair, where everything started three months before. But there were bouquets of flowers all over the room. She was seated by a cloth covered table, dressed with a low floral arrangement, and candles. The table was set with china, glassware and silverware, and there was champagne cooling in a bucket. Megamind, again looking like his usual self, said, "I thought we could celebrate with a special meal, but not have to worry about disguises." At that moment, Minion came in pushing a cart laden with food.

"Miss Ritchie," Minion said, "I've made all your favorites." He proceeded to lay the food on the table.

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><p>As they ate and drank, they reminisced about their past dates. Megamind wanted to know what were her favorites, what did she think was the funniest thing that happened, the most exciting, the most boring and so on. When it was clear they were done eating, Megamind stood up, and held out his hand to her. "Would you like to dance?"<p>

Roxanne looked at him in surprise. "You've never asked me to dance before."

"Well, there's a first time for everything." Putting an arm around her waist, and holding her right hand in his left, he began to lead her around the room.

Roxanne looked up, and commented, "I see you kept the lights the same. I remember thinking how pretty they were when I saw them that night. Did you mean for them to look like starlight?"

"Yes, that was my intention." After a moment, he added, "What else do you remember about that night?"

"It was a very... confusing evening. I felt a lot of different things, at different moments. You were..." and then she stopped.

"Go ahead. Tell me what you were going to say."

"I don't want to... hurt your feelings."

Megamind laughed, but there was bitterness in it. "And I don't want to upset you, but there things about that evening that we need to discuss." After a pause, he continued, "I know I frightened you, at least at first. I was trying to; I meant to throw you off balance. I had a reason for that." Again he laughed bitterly. "And then, I scared myself. That wasn't part of the plan."

"I don't understand."

"Shall I show you…. show you the moment that changed everything?" The dance moved toward the wall, and he slowly pressed her against it. The dancing stopped. He moved his hands so he was holding her wrists, restraining her against the wall and pressing his body against the length of hers. "Do you remember this moment, Roxanne; do you remember the way you felt?" She nodded her head. "It began because you hit me: I know it was part of an attempt to escape, and you had every right to. For all you knew, you were there just to be my prisoner, and I know my behavior was bizarre and confusing. At first, my intention was merely to restrain you, and to keep you from hitting me again; to keep you from escaping before I could execute my Plan. But feeling your body close to mine that way, I suddenly was experiencing a feeling I'd never had before.

"I never really understood that word, 'lust,' until that moment. I lusted for you, Roxanne. I wanted you, in a way I've never wanted anything before, not control of Metrocity, not Metro Man's defeat, not friendship or acceptance when I was a child. I didn't just want you physically; I wanted you to be mine, completely, totally. In some ways, the feeling was exciting, exhilarating, but it was also terrifying, because I realized at that moment, that you held me captive, hostage, more than I did you." He kissed her, gentle at first, and then more fiercely. He broke off the kiss and brushed his nose along her jaw and down her throat, and murmured, "And how did you feel back then, at that moment?"

"I was confused, frightened, and embarrassed, embarrassed because it was also exciting and arousing to me. I couldn't understand how I could react that way. I thought there must be something wrong with me."

"There must be, and I'm glad. I thought I sensed a response from you, but I couldn't be sure. It seemed too good to be true." He released her wrists, only to pull her close in an embrace. "Do you see why I hesitated to come back here with you? It stirs up so much of the past. But I'm procrastinating, avoiding what we must confront."

"Just a moment. I have something to share with _you_, also," Roxanne offered, as she blushed. "I've thought a lot about that moment, trying to understand my own reactions. I think, in part, it had to do with how you were showing such a different side to yourself. Before, even though I recognized you were brilliant, and you had moments of being witty and entertaining, I also saw you as kind of a ….goof, a wimp, not because of your physical strength, but because your plans always failed. You would try to act intimidating, but I wasn't afraid of you. You were so predictable, and it made you seem … ineffectual, incompetent. But during that evening you came across as …. forceful and powerful. I responded to that part, seeing that aspect of you as quite attractive. And later, you showed you could also be vulnerable and open. The combination was …very appealing."

Megamind murmured, "So my Plan worked better than I expected." Then he led her back to the table.

Taking her hand, and looking into her eyes, Megamind stated, "When we were last here, you promised to try dating me for three months. Our three months are up. It's time to decide; are we going to continue?"

"Why wouldn't we?"

"I would like nothing more in the world than for us to continue. These past three months have been the happiest of my entire life. But I know we cannot continue to build this relationship on a foundation of deception. I have not lied to you in these past three months, but I have not told you everything.

"I know it has bothered you that I never brought you back here. I let you think that it might be because I didn't trust you with the truth of my location. But the reality is that coming here with you would be a constant reminder that I was withholding things from you, and the proof of what I was withholding is in this room. A small part of me was afraid that you might stumble on the truth on your own, if you spent a lot of time in the Lair. You are a nosy reporter after all. But mostly, it's what this place stirs up inside me. Did you ever wonder, Roxanne, why I kidnapped you that night?"

"Initially, I assumed it was retribution for what I had done to you. That's why I was frightened; that, and because you were acting so strangely. Days later, I recognized that our previous 'kidnapping' episodes often included flirting behavior on both our parts, but that night, I was surprised by your obvious… interest in me physically. Then I was confused by my own reactions to your touches. I'll admit, at first it freaked me out that part of me was enjoying it."

"You said initially; what about later?"

"Later I assumed that you had become attracted to me, and something in that oversized brain of yours had possibly interpreted my …. 'aggressive' behavior toward you as meaning I might be open to your advances. I really wasn't sure. All I knew was that you kept giving me mental whiplash, veering from being intimidating and kind of scary, to being charming and sweet. I wondered if you just didn't know how to approach a woman, having no experience, or if you had trouble not lurching back into old habits when interacting with me. It was a very confusing evening."

He stood up, and she mirrored him. "Would the nosy reporter like to know my secrets? Would she like to understand more about my …motivations that night?"

"Of course. The nosy reporter always wants more information."

His eyes became mischievous. "You think my defenses are wavering….But your tricks… won't work… on me….temptress," he challenged her, with a smile in his green eyes.

Her response was to place her hands on either side of his face, and her lips on his. He quickly pulled her close, and deepened the kiss. It went on for a long time, their hands roving over each other. But finally Roxanne loosened their embrace, put her lips to his ear, and murmured, "Now, villain, spill your secrets."

"You've won, temptress. I can no longer resist your wiles." He led her by the hand to the console, and waved her into one of the chairs.

He touched some dials and switches, and the bank of monitors flickered on, showing the room from different angles. But not the room as it was now, but the night she had been here before. As she watched the image of Megamind carrying her into the room, and securing her in the chair, he began to explain about his Plan: the Plan that began with the goal of revenge and retribution, morphed into a Plan for blackmail and control, and finally added the hopeless aspiration of courting her.

"I thought you deserved to know… what sort of creature you had attached yourself to in these last three months. You may well ask why I haven't told you all this before now. I have no excuse, except that I dared to hope that once you got to know me better, you might care for me enough to try to understand and forgive me. I will also admit to a very selfish reason. I wanted my three months of memories with you.

"I hope you can forgive me, but I completely understand if you cannot. But I want you to know that these last three months, besides being the most wonderful time in my life, have also changed me deeply. Whatever you decide, I can never go back to being the type of person I was before. I'll admit, when we first started dating, I was just trying to be what I thought you would want me to be. But eventually, I found that how I was acting- no, how I _was_ when I was with you, felt more like my true self. I realized how much of my behavior from before was me trying to play the _role_ of a villain. It wasn't really me. And I like myself better the way I have been in these recent months.

"I deeply regret, in fact I am ashamed of, all those years of villainy and evil. What I did to the people of this city, what I did to _you_, how can I ever make restitution? I want to redeem myself in their eyes, but especially in yours. All those wasted efforts, acting out my anger, my hurt, in my battles with Metro Man. That stupid rivalry, following what I decided was my destiny. When all I really wanted was some attention, a sense of accomplishment, some recognition for my talents and my genius.

"I have no idea what I will do without you, but I will never try to contact you or bother you again if you want me out of your life. If you like, I will move from this city, from this state, even from this country." Roxanne held up a finger in front his face, and he stopped speaking.

"Give me a moment to think." He sat in silence awaiting her judgment. Roxanne watched the monitors, and suddenly said, "Pause the recording." When he had done so, she asked, "Explain what you were thinking at this point."

She did that, over and over, and he tried his best to explain, apologizing when he couldn't explain because he didn't know himself. "I was just as confused in my feelings as you were. I was trying to be what I thought of as 'professional,' sticking to the Plan, but the Plan also depended on improvisation. At times I lost track of the goal as I was swept up in my feelings, my attraction to you, the desire that you would _like _me, the yearning that someone would finally understand me. Some of the time, I was trying to do 'Good Cop, Bad Cop,' but it was difficult to play both roles. Now I feel very guilty for how I was trying to manipulate you that evening. All those lies interwoven with the truths; how can you trust me?"

"But you're saying you haven't lied to me since?"

"No, except by omission."

Roxanne startled him by asking, "Have you truly forgiven me for what I did, humiliating you?"

He waved his hand. "That's was nothing; I'm sure I deserved worse. But I am curious. What prompted you to do it at that particular moment?"

Her cheeks flushing faintly, Roxanne answered, "Oh, that. I'm mildly embarrassed to admit this, but I can be impulsive. The last time you had kidnapped me, you know, before the time I …did what I did to you, you ruined a date I had planned."

Megamind said in a flat voice, "With Metro Man."

"No! I told you, I have never dated him. No, my date was with an author of crime novels, someone I had interviewed -of course, how else do I meet men, besides being kidnapped? Once the rumors about Metro Man and me dating were widely circulated, _no one_ ever asked me out. So I was impressed and flattered when the guy asked me out to lunch. It made him seem, I don't know, brave or confident, and he was intelligent and kind of cute, so I said yes. Lunch went well; he was fairly entertaining to talk with, although he did tend to talk more about himself. But he had some interesting experiences, so that was alright. He didn't try to kiss me at the end, but we were in a public place, and I thought maybe he's shy, or he doesn't want to seem pushy, or he was trying to be a gentleman.

"Then you kidnapped me on the evening when we had plans for dinner, and I was so furious. Here I finally had a chance of a normal relationship with a man, and you had ruined it. I thought: that's it; no guy is ever going to tolerate a girlfriend who's always disappearing with no notice. That's when I made my scheme to humiliate you. In part I just wanted to punish you, but I also was hoping that by showing you I wasn't helpless, you would have second thoughts about taking me hostage in the future. I got the gun, and kept it with me at all times, so I would be ready for the next time. Meanwhile the guy completely understood why I stood him up- it was on the news, after all. So we rescheduled."

"You never mentioned him."

"Wait for the end of the story and you'll see why. So we go out to dinner, and it turns out the guy was just looking for material for his next novel. He was hoping I would share with him about my relationship with Metro Man, and my experiences as _your _hostage, so he could incorporate it into his next book. He seemed to think I should be flattered that he wanted to include parts of my life in his next best seller. I was so angry I left before the food was served. Then I was furious at both you and Metro Man for putting me in the position that the only guy asking me out, was asking me out because I was _your_ recurring hostage and _his _supposed girlfriend. I couldn't take revenge on Metro Man: number one, he's untouchable; number two, reporting on him is my bread and butter. So the next time you kidnapped me, you got the full force of my anger. Sorry. That wasn't really fair."

"You apologized that night and I accepted. But truly, no apology is necessary. I am, in truth, grateful for what you did."

"Grateful?" she said, shocked.

Megamind nodded. "Yes, grateful. You set in motion a series of events that led us to the last three months. Unintended consequences. Wonderful, glorious, unintended consequences.

"The real question is whether you will forgive me for what I did earlier, lying to you, trying to manipulate you. If there is any way I can ever make reparations to earn your forgiveness?"

"Thank you for your honesty, for being willing to take the risk to share all this with me."

After a moment of silence, Megamind ventured, "Do I need to say the doors are not locked this time? You can leave whenever you want, no blindfold required. Minion will take you wherever you want."

Roxanne sat quietly for a short period of time, than got up, and walked away from the console.

* * *

><p>There was a void where Megamind's heart had been. It was only what he deserved, after all. He'd been afraid of this; that's why he had maneuvered her into that last passionate kiss. One last time, one last memory.<p>

Why was she still standing there, her back to him? He wanted her to go before the tears came. He wanted her to stay.

She was wondering why she wasn't angry, furious. He had tricked her, manipulated her…. Was it because she already knew that? He filled in a lot of the details tonight, but she had figured out most of the basics way back in the beginning. Was it because she understood how his strange childhood, filled with disappointment and rejection, warped his perceptions, his perspectives, his judgment? …..

Oh, that's it: she wasn't angry because it didn't _matter_ what he had done before, what he _was _before, in that time prior to their dating. She'd let it go; she had already forgiven him. Because she loved who he was now: Brilliant with moments of idiocy; confident and proud when he wasn't feeling insecure; strong and vulnerable; thoughtful and considerate, except for the sporadic instances of self-absorption; witty and funny; sweet and charming; geeky and quirky; caring and protective. She loved how he made her feel, how he filled the empty spaces. She'd had a full life without him, a great career, friends, but she'd been lonely too. She wasn't lonely anymore.

She whirled back and strode toward him. She saw the despair on his face, transforming into hope.

"I think," and Roxanne smiled mischievously, "I want an extension on our contract."

"For how long?"

"How about, indefinitely?"

"I was hoping for forever, but I'll take it.

"Shall we seal the deal with a kiss?"

For an answer, he pulled her into his embrace, and placed his lips on hers.

* * *

><p><strong>AUTHOR NOTE<strong>:

**If you enjoyed this, reviews and feedback would be greatly appreciated.**

The next chapter will deal with, among other things, how Metro Man is coping with Megamind's disappearance.


	3. Metro Man Interlude

**REDEMPTION**

AUTHOR NOTE: Thanks to nineteenninetytwo for beta reading this chapter, and giving advice. Also, thanks to all past reviewers of the story arc, especially the most recent chapters.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3. Metro Man Interlude<strong>

Metro Man was sulking in his underground hideaway. He told himself he ought to be happy. Megamind hadn't been seen or heard from in almost seven months. The city was relatively quiet and calm. There wasn't much for him to do. He apprehended the odd criminal in the act, assisted the random citizen in trouble, but it just wasn't the same without Megamind to fight against. And he missed rescuing Roxanne Ritchie. He had stopped asking her out, because she always said no, but rescuing her gave him the illusion of closeness with her. He kept hoping that after one of the rescues, she would give him a look to indicate she had changed her mind about him.

It was weird, he thought, some of the times when he had come to save her, he would swear Roxanne was irritated by his arrival. It was as though she was enjoying her time with Megamind, and he was breaking up the party early. He just didn't understand her. And Megamind- there was another puzzle. What was up with him? Sure, there had been times when Megamind had laid low for an extended time. Generally it meant he was building some really big ingeniously evil device. But Metro Man couldn't remember the last time Megamind had been out of sight for over a month or two. Was there something wrong with him? Was he ill? Had he injured himself in some mad experiment gone wrong? Metro Man's thoughts veered from being worried about the blue-skinned alien's welfare to being irritated at him for vanishing without telling him what was going on.

Before Megamind's disappearance, Metro Man had actually been having a kind of midlife crisis. Quite frankly, he was getting a little bored with the Hero gig: Battle Megamind, and put him in prison. Villain breaks out, fight him again, and return him to prison. Throw in the occasional petty criminal who the police could really manage themselves. Do it again. Been there, done that. Metro Man had been thinking that, after all this time saving people, saving the city, didn't he deserve time for himself, time to pursue his own dreams? But how could he justify abandoning his position when Megamind was around, intermittently threatening the city?

But now it had been over half a year, with not even a peep from Megamind. If he could just be sure that Megamind was really gone, Metro Man could retire with a clear conscience, and pursue his true passion: Music. Admittedly, Megamind's absence had allowed him more time to work on his music, writing songs and practicing. But he wanted to be able to devote all his time to his Art. And he was sure that people wouldn't accept him as a musician if they still saw him primarily as a Hero.

Then it came to him. He would try to track down Megamind, discover what had happened to him, and get the proof he needed to retire.

* * *

><p>Roxanne was walking back to the station, after taking a late lunch. She was enjoying the beautiful weather and looking forward to the evening visit from Megamind. He had promised that he would give her a first lesson in driving the hoverbike. He was currently building a second one for her.<p>

Suddenly, a blur of white descended in front of her. She stepped back in surprise. "Metro Man! What are you doing here?"

"Roxie, I must speak with you."

"You know I hate it when you call me that."

"Sorry, Roxanne. But, as I said, I must speak with you. I need your help."

"I'm kind of in a hurry. Got a lot of work waiting for me back at the station. Can't we do this some other time?" She tried to step around him and continue on her way. But he continued alongside her.

"Roxanne, this is important. It's about Megamind."

Roxanne felt her heart start to beat faster. She began to panic, as the thought came to her, _He knows_. But then she mentally shook herself. They had been very careful. No one knew. Her girlfriends had stopped pushing her for information when she made it clear she wouldn't share anything more about the identity of her secret boyfriend. She knew they suspected she was dating a famous scientist or entrepreneur, (Julia's guess), or a movie star or politician, maybe a married man (Tina's idea).

"Megamind? There's been no sight or sound of him in, what, about six or seven months? I just assumed that he skipped town. Maybe he finally realized that he could never defeat you and moved on to other... interests."

"You might be correct, but I really need to know what happened to him."

"Why? What difference does it make?"

Metro Man looked uncomfortable. "I... can't really explain that now. But I would like your help."

Roxanne tried to pick up her pace. "I don't know how I can possibly help you."

"As near as I can tell, you were the last one to see Megamind."

_Uh-oh_, Roxanne thought to herself. _I'm afraid I know where this is going._ But she turned to Metro Man with a quizzical look on her face, and innocently said, "I can't imagine why you would think that."

"Roxanne, that broadcast; I know it was short, only about 30 seconds, but it sure sounded like your voice talking to Megamind, who was shown tied up in a chair."

"Yes, and a lot of people said it must've been a fake. The image quality wasn't all that good, and the face of the supposed Megamind character was partially obscured."

"Roxanne, you would know whether that was your voice, whether the recording was a fake or not, right?"

"Of course. And I'm telling you right now, it was a fake. And even if it _was _real, what difference would it make?"

"Because, if it was _real_, and if it had occurred inside his latest Lair, then you would know where he was, at least at that time. I could go there and look for clues."

"Clues? What kind of kind of clues are you looking for?"

"I'm trying to track him down."

"To take him back to prison, to serve his 85 life sentences." She said it as a statement, not a question. Her heart was sinking.

"Prison? No, I don't care about that." Roxanne stared at him.

"Then what do you want?"

"Roxanne," Metro Man lowered his voice. "Promise me you'll keep this secret. I can trust you, right?"

"Of course," Roxanne lied.

"I want to retire. I'm tired of the Hero gig. But it wouldn't feel right unless I knew for sure that Megamind was not going to be a threat to the city anymore. That's why I have to track him down."

Roxanne's heart was starting to race again. This could be good, or this could be very, very bad. "I would like to help you, but at this moment I can't think of how. But if I come up with something…"

"You know how to reach me." And he flew away.

Roxanne hurriedly began texting. "CHANGE OF PLANS. THERE'S A PROBLEM, MAYBE AN OPPORTUNITY. WE NEED TO TALK. WILL TRY TO GET OUT OF WORK EARLY. WILL SEND TIME TO COME TO APT. R"

* * *

><p>Megamind showed up as directed in one of his regular disguises for coming to the apartment, an elderly gentleman who didn't look like dating material. He never tried to explain to Carlos, the doorman, what his character's relationship to Roxanne was, but the prepared story, if it came up, was that he was one of her favorite college professors. Megamind was a little worried because of the urgent tone of the text, but told himself it couldn't be too bad or Roxanne would have faked an illness to get out of work. They always tried to be very careful about what information they put in text messages, just in case. Among his many projects, Megamind was working on a way to make their phones completely secure. As soon as the door to her apartment was closed behind him, he dropped the disguise. "What is it?" he said with no preliminaries.<p>

She kissed him and gestured him toward the couch. Quickly she reviewed her conversation with Metro Man. She asked, "So, what do you think? Will he be able to track you down?"

"He's not a genius like I am, but he's not a complete idiot. In the past, he's never had to look for me because I always did something to bring him to me. I either told him where to find me, or gave such obvious clues he could easily figure it out. When it comes to physically searching, his strengths are his super speed, vision and hearing. The Lair has generally been located in similar types of locations: abandoned factory buildings, warehouses, places with space for my projects and few neighbors to notice my comings and goings, or the odd noises. There are only so many of those in the city. It probably wouldn't take too long for him to search through all the options. I could relocate fairly quickly if we focused on moving just the most important equipment, within minutes if I abandon everything. I can beef up the perimeter security so that at least I would know if he gets close, and set up a few safe houses to evacuate to if he locates me."

"You already have one of those," Roxanne assured him. When he looked at her quizzically, she said," My place, silly. He would never expect you to be here."

"Unless he suspects me of coming to kidnap you."

"Oh, no; I never considered that."

"I could leave the city."

"I would hate that, but it you think you need to…"

"But hiding is not our only option. He did say he's not interested in me going back to prison so much as his opportunity to retire. Unless you think it's a trap?"

"I don't... think so. I believe he genuinely trusts me, and wouldn't have lied to me. Maybe the real issue is whether he would believe that you actually have reformed and were no longer a threat to the city or to anyone."

"And whether he would turn out to be a stickler for the letter of the law, and would insist that I go back to prison for life, no matter what. I don't consider that an option."

"I could go meet with him, try to feel him out about that." Roxanne looked at his face, which had become stony. "What? You're not having some kind of ridiculous doubts about-"

"No, I trust you completely. Old rivalries die hard; it's him I don't trust. Do me a favor: let me send some spybots with you."

"Why?"

"Insurance. And also, what is it the reporter in you is always saying? To get more information."

* * *

><p>She stopped by the Lair before heading to the interview with Metro Man, to pick up the surveillance equipment she had agreed to take. Once she acceded to a couple of spybots, Megamind kept pressing her to accept more devices. She told herself it was similar to when she was doing her investigative reporting. It's not like her intention was any kind of criminal act, or to hurt anyone. And it reassured Megamind to have real-time access to what was happening during her conversation with Metro Man. In addition to the six tiny insectlike spybots that would disperse from her clothing when she was actually inside and in Metro Man presence, she would wear what looked like a dragonfly brooch on her suit coat lapel. Several more spybots would be flying around the late model sedan when she parked outside the schoolhouse, "just in case." Megamind also offered her a beautiful sapphire necklace. "I was going to give this to you on our four month anniversary, but I want you have it now."<p>

"It's lovely, but what's your reason for giving it to me early?"

"It's not just a necklace. I added a tracking device to it, so when you're wearing it, I can always locate you."

"What in the world do you think could happen that would necessitate that?"

"I can't explain it; I know it makes no sense. When I think of you being near him, it makes me nervous. Just do it for me, please."

"But why?"

"I don't know why," he cried. He buried his face in his hands. She was perplexed, but he clearly was so upset, she was considering doing it, just to make him feel better."

Suddenly he raised his head. "Oh," he said, with realization dawning on his face.

"What?"

"I think I just figured it out." He paused.

"Are you going to tell me?"

His cheeks and ears were starting to flush lavender. "I know this is ridiculous….but, Metro Man always took you away from me." He hurried to reassure her, "I know you would never leave me voluntarily, but I think a part of me worries Metro Man might abduct you, to keep you from me. I know it sounds crazy, coming from your former kidnapper."

"I'll wear the necklace."

Softly, "Thank you."

"Just one question. Did you install the tracker before or after the meeting with Metro Man was decided on?

"After. Why?"

"Because if you had done it before, that would have been decidedly creepy."

"I'll show you how to disable it, or take it off if you like, afterwards."

"Thank you."

But she absolutely refused to wear an earpiece that would allow Megamind to speak to her. "I will not have you distracting me with your ideas and suggestions. No," and she held her finger in his face as he opened his mouth to speak. "You have got to trust my skills as an interviewer. I'm sure I can do this." So he backed down.

* * *

><p>Roxanne had not been here in years. The old schoolhouse was located far on the outskirts of the city. It made her a little twitchy, knowing how much surveillance equipment she was bringing into Metro Man's hideaway. As she opened the door leading to the secret passage, the one that led into the underground hideaway, she marveled at the fact that it wasn't locked. But then, maybe Metro Man had no fear of anyone coming to see him, so there was no need. Or maybe she was triggering perimeter alarms that would let him know he had company. When she got to the door immediately outside the actual living quarters, she paused.<p>

Before she could decide whether to knock or just open the door, it was opened for her. "Roxie," Metro Man exclaimed, a smile on his face. Looking at her disgruntled expression, he corrected himself. "Roxanne. You came."

Roxanne was glad he made no effort to touch her. She didn't know what she would have done, or how Megamind would have reacted. She knew he was observing every second from his monitors in the Lair. "Yes, well, I've been thinking about what you said. I'm still not sure how I might be helpful, but I thought that if I talked to you more about your plans, I might be able to come up with some ideas." He invited her to sit on the couch, offered her a drink ("Just water, please."), and Metro Man began by reiterating what he told her before.

Roxanne inquired, "So what is your plan for locating him?"

"Systematically check all the possible locations for the Evil Lair. You know the type of place he usually uses: abandoned warehouses and factories, in rundown areas with few people. If none of those work out, I'll have to consider that maybe he's gone to ground in a smaller place. If he's anywhere in the city, he has to be in hiding. With his distinctive appearance, everyone would know who he was if he was out in public. No change of costume can hide that big blue head."

"But I still don't quite understand what you would do if you would find Megamind."

"I'm not sure. Initially, I just want to talk to him, get a sense of whether he's just laying low with the intention of a big comeback, or if, like me, he's tired of the whole routine and wants to retire from it. I don't have a lot of hope for that idea, but you never know. Also, I have wondered whether or not he's dead, if he's killed himself somehow."

"Why would you think he would commit suicide?"

"Oh, no, I didn't mean that. I meant maybe one of his mad experiments went wrong and he blew himself up, or got crushed under one of those giant robots of his. Something like that. It's funny, when the thought came to me, it actually made me... kind of sad. I know we've been rivals for a long time. But I don't really want him to be dead."

"And what if he's alive, and he wants to retire like you? What then? Would you insist that he has to go back to prison?"

"I probably should, as an enforcer of the law, and all that. But really, I would be afraid that that would just start the pattern all over again. He would break out, and then I would be expected to go get him to put him back. If I could just be sure that he really wouldn't do anything else in the future to terrorize the city, or engage in any other criminal behavior, I would be content to, I don't know, let him get on with his life."

"I think you have a point, but why would you do that, besides the fact that it would be good for you and your retirement?"

"You know, most people don't think about this, but Megamind and I are _both_ aliens. We're both from another solar system. Because of the way I look, most people seem to forget about that. But with Megamind, it's so obvious. It's like he's had three strikes against him from the moment he arrived here. Despite everything he's done, I feel sorry for the guy. And in some ways I feel sort of responsible…. well, anyway, it was a long time ago….never mind."

"What did you do?" Roxanne asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes.

Metro Man looked very uncomfortable as he glanced down at his hands. In fact, Roxanne thought he looked embarrassed, maybe ashamed. "You have to understand, Roxanne, I was just a kid. My adoptive parents were concerned about me having a good educational experience. They didn't want to send me to a public school, and they weren't satisfied with any of the private schools available. So my mother had the idea that they would establish a small school for gifted children, where they could completely control the teacher, the curriculum, and even the students who would be enrolled.

"My father was willing to go along with the idea, but he wanted to minimize the cost as much as he could. So they built the school on the cheapest piece of property they could acquire, which turned out to be right down the road from the city prison. My parents wanted me to have the opportunity to socialize with other children, but they wanted them to be special children, gifted children, since I was their 'special' child. Of course, the teacher knew that I was the son of the people who owned the school, so that might have contributed to her kind of sucking up to me. But I have had other people tell me that I was a charming child." Roxanne looked at him with a certain amount of skepticism in her eye. Metro Man hurried on with the story.

"Between my naturally charismatic personality and my superpowers, the other kids looked up to me. I was a leader, the most popular kid in the school. Then one day this new kid from the local prison starts attending school. I remember thinking at the time that I didn't understand how a kid from prison would be allowed into our school. When I was older, I thought maybe it was done as good PR for the school. He had blue skin, and a really big head; well, you know who it was."

"It was clear from the beginning that he was very smart. He knew a lot of things about science and math that none of the rest of us knew. In fact, I think he got on the teacher's bad side because the very first day he started correcting some of the things that she was teaching in those areas. Of course, at the time, I just figured the teacher was right because she was the teacher, and the new kid was being a brat. But now I think the teacher was embarrassed because Megamind was probably right. Of course he wasn't called that back then. "

"What was he called?"

"We called him Blue Boy, sometimes Blueberry, but I think his name was Blue."

"_That_ was his name?"

Metro Man shrugged. "I think so; that's what I remember, anyway. But anyways, some of the kids were afraid of him because, clearly, he was an alien. I think the teacher was afraid of him too, because she always seemed uncomfortable around him, and stayed as far away from him as she could. Some of the kids, though, actually seemed interested in him because he was different." Then Metro Man paused, and looked down again. Roxanne waited.

"This is the part that bothers me, the part I really regret. There was this girl in the class; I don't even remember her name anymore, Susie, or Sarah or Sally. I guess I had a little crush on her. Well, she actually was one of the ones who seemed really interested in the new kid. She was really good in math and science too, so maybe that's what she liked about him, or maybe she was intrigued because he was so different. Anyways, it bothered me that once Blue came around, I couldn't seem to get her attention anymore. So, ahh, I did what I could to turned everyone against him, so that maybe I could get the girl's attention back on me."

Roxanne was so angry: she wanted to hit him; she wanted to scream at him. But she made herself remain calm, to act only interested in the story. They still hadn't figured out yet how to use Metro Man to Megamind's benefit. That was the most important thing. Roxanne asked, "So is there more?"

"It seemed like after that, Blue just kept getting in more and more trouble. Near the end, it was like he was doing things on purpose, like he was reveling in being called the bad kid. I still wonder if maybe it's partially my fault that he turned out the way he did."

Roxanne cautiously offered, "So, if it's at least partly your fault that he became a villain, does that mean that you think you might owe it to him to help him, if he wanted to stop being a villain?"

"Maybe. I guess so. Sure."

"And how do you think you might do that?"

"I have no idea. I guess I need to think about that. Of course, this is all speculation. None of us have any idea what Megamind really wants now. If he's even alive. I'm actually leaning toward the idea that he's gone to another country, maybe a different continent, to get a fresh start."

Roxanne put a contemplative expression on her face. "Hmmm. While I think it's possible that he's either dead, or injured, I think it's more likely, that he's not. He's made a lot of dangerous inventions before, apparently without hurting himself before. He probably is cautious enough during the inventing and construction phase.

"I've been thinking about this issue, since you brought it up to me. I've been trying to remember anything that Megamind might've said during the last few times I saw him. And when I think about it, I do seem to recall him saying some things that suggested that he was tired of the whole criminal mastermind rivalry with Metro Man thing. I think it's more likely that he really just wants to make a change; that he hasn't done anything to get your attention because he doesn't want to do it anymore."

When it became apparent that Metro Man was done with talking and speculating, and Roxanne could think of nothing else to say to nudge him in the direction they wanted, she decided it was time to make her exit. She got up, saying, "So what do you think your next move will be?"

"I plan to do a systematic search of all the likely locations in the city, and then I'll move on to a systematic search of all the unlikely locations. After that, I don't know, maybe I'll post a message in the personal column: "Superhero wants to contact former rival to make amends." Or I'll take out an ad: "Big reward for information leading to contact with Megamind." Maybe he'll turn himself in just for the money." Roxanne couldn't help herself; she laughed. She was imagining teasing Megamind that _she_ could turn him in for the money.

"Well, I'd better be going. If I think of anything else that might be helpful, I'll get back in touch. And if you want to talk further about this, feel free to contact me."

"Thank you, Roxanne. I can't believe how much better I feel after having talked to you."

Once she driven several miles back toward the city, away from the old schoolhouse, Roxanne pulled off the side of the road, and called Megamind. Once he answered, she asked, "So, what did you think?"

"That you're really good at your job. I'm feeling more optimistic about our chances based on what he said. I'm surprised how much he shared with you, how much he admitted…. And the girl's name was Cindy."

"We still on for tonight? Dinner at my place, then you give me another hoverbike lesson?"

"Of course. I'm looking forward to it."

* * *

><p>Metro Man preferred to do his searching at night, because flying around in the daytime tended to attract too much attention. It's hard to work when throngs of adoring crowds gather around you. Or the news crews arrive, figuring that he must be doing something heroic. He had started out by going to all the old locations that Megamind had used. It was a long shot, but it was a place to start. But no, there was no sign that Megamind had recently returned to them. Now he was systematically working his way through all the abandoned warehouses and factories. He actually found signs of past habitation by Megamind in a few places, but it was all old traces, nothing new, nothing to indicate where he might be now. Tonight he thought he could finish with the rest of the factories and warehouses.<p>

After checking a few places, he realized that he was not that far from Roxanne's apartment. He had been very touched by her visit to him. She had not come right out and said it, but he wondered if maybe she was finally starting to warm toward him. She had said that he should feel free to contact her if he wanted to talk again. It was enough of an excuse, he thought. He would stop by her apartment just to say hi, and ask if she had come up with any ideas. He wouldn't stay long. That should be all right.

* * *

><p>Megamind dismounted from the hoverbike, making sure that the invisibility shield was firmly locked in the on position. He placed the bike as close to one side of Roxanne's balcony as he could, so she would not accidentally run into it if they came out later. Carrying the bouquet of yellow and red roses, he quickly entered the apartment and called her name. "Just a minute," she replied. When she walked out of her bedroom, she was carrying a large white box with a blue ribbon. Megamind's attention was on her dress: sapphire blue, to match the new necklace he had given her, low-cut, and the shortest he'd ever seen her wear.<p>

"You look... amazing, beautiful."

"I have a present for you."

"Yes, I love the dress."

"Silly, I mean what's in the box."

"Oh, the dress is enough."

"Humor me. Open the box."

"As you wish." They sat down together on the couch. Lifting the lid, Megamind discovered a silk button up shirt very similar in color to her dress, and a pair of black slacks.

"Not to insult your tailor, but I thought you should expand your sartorial horizons. Go on, take it into the bedroom and put it on." When at first he didn't move, she touched his shoulder, and said "Humor me."

"As you wish."

She arranged the flowers in a vase while he changed. When he came out, she said, "You look very nice. What do you think?"

"It's all right, if you like it. Not as comfortable as my usual attire. And, I think buttons are just not as practical as zippers."

Roxanne laughed. "I'm hungry, so let's eat. But afterwards, I'll demonstrate the advantages of buttons."

* * *

><p>As he approached her balcony, Metro Man could see no lights on in her apartment. He almost veered away to leave, but decided to stop anyways, to see if she was there. If she was sleeping, he wouldn't bother her. Landing on the balcony, he stopped to listen. He couldn't detect any sound, but then he noticed a shimmer at one end of her balcony. He recognized that shimmer; it was like the one given off by Megamind's invisible car. <em>No<em>, he thought, _it can't be_. He slowly approached the shimmer, stopping when he was inches away from it. Cautiously putting his hand out, he came in contact with something metal. Jerking his hand back, he realized that Megamind must be here, and therefore Roxanne was in danger.

Swiftly going to the door, he listened again. The sounds were very soft, but he thought he heard Roxanne's voice. It was indistinct, but then he could've sworn he heard her say "Megamind." Being as quiet as possible, he entered the apartment and moved in the direction of the sound, carefully, so as not to alert Megamind to his presence. The door to the room from which the sounds (_was that a moan?_) were emanating was open just a few inches. But what he saw through that small space – _no, it wasn't possible._ The image froze his brain; no, set it on fire!

He couldn't help himself. He burst into the room, and the words fell from his lips: "What the hell is going on in here?"

The figures on the bed were suddenly still. They looked to Metro Man like they were moving in slow motion: As one, the man and the woman broke their kiss, and turned their faces to him with expressions of shock. They rolled away from each other, Megamind to the side of the bed farthest from Metro Man, Roxanne to the side closest to him. But while Megamind's face was one of acute embarrassment, Roxanne's was full of rage. Roxanne stood up and marched toward Metro Man. "What's going on is that you broke into my apartment, and are interrupting my romantic evening with - my boyfriend." Then she lowered her voice, and whispered, "or should I say, my lover?" emphasizing the last word.

Metro Man found himself profoundly inarticulate. "But how, what, you two,…. what's going on? "

"What were you thinking, breaking into my apartment?"

"I didn't break in, the balcony door was unlocked. And you said I could contact you if I wanted to talk."

"I said 'contact.' Don't you know how to use a phone?"

During this interaction, Megamind hurriedly buttoned his shirt, went to the closet, and extracted Roxanne's robe. He brought it over to her and said, "Here, Roxanne, put this on. I think it will be easier for the men in the room to focus on our discussion if you wear this."

Roxanne allowed him to help her on with the robe, which covered up the revealing nature of her dress, saying, "As you wish." She led the way into the living room; then she strode to the balcony doors, and closed the drapes before turning on the lights. She waved Metro Man into one of the chairs, and sat on the couch next to Megamind, picking up his hand.

There was an awkward silence. Finally, Megamind ventured, "So, I understand you want to retire."

Metro Man grunted. "I suppose she told you that."

Megamind responded, "No, I heard you say it, I was listening in on the conversation you had with Roxanne."

"I was wearing a wire," Roxanne said brightly.

Glancing at her, Metro Man growled, "So you were lying to me earlier. How did you get roped into his criminal activities?"

Roxanne angrily retorted, "I did not-"

Megamind interrupted her, patting her knee, "Now, now, dear, let's give the man a break. He has, after all, no idea what's been going on since my, ahh, disappearance." Turning back to Metro Man, Megamind explained, "Since my disappearance, I have not been engaging in, nor planning, any criminal activity." He paused. "Well, to be more accurate, I should say the last four months. The prior three months I was engaged in, shall we say, some ambiguous behaviors? Close enough?" he said, glancing at Roxanne. She nodded her head. "But to continue: I, too, would like to retire from my former …. profession. Specifically, I no longer want to be the villain, the bad guy, the criminal mastermind. On the other hand, I have absolutely no intention of being sent to prison. I could break out of course-but what a waste of time, and frankly I can think of a whole host of things I would rather be doing. What I want to do is spend my time building a life with Roxanne." He looked meaningfully at her, raising her hand to his lips. Roxanne smiled at him.

Metro Man closed his eyes. "Will the two of you stop that?"

"Get used to it," Roxanne retorted.

Megamind continued, as if he'd not been interrupted, "So, we have a mutual problem. We both want to retire. You _said _that to retire with a clear conscience, you want reassurance that I will no longer return to my life of crime. I would be happy to try to persuade you of the truthfulness of that, whatever it is you need from me in order to be convinced. My problem however is a little more difficult. Preferably, I would like a pardon, so that I would not have to live in hiding, or move to another country. Roxanne, after all does have an established career in this city, and we would like to be able to go out in public without me constantly being in disguise."

"Is that what you've been doing all this time?" Metro Man asked.

"Yes. Sometimes using a disguise has been entertaining, but eventually, it does get a little tedious."

Metro Man interrupted, "But how could you possibly hide your big blue head?"

Megamind just looked at him, thought about ignoring the question, then said, "With technology. I'm a genius, remember? Back to the point: how can we help each other move into retirement? Oh, and you can stop your searching, since you now know where I am; at least, where I am much of the time, especially in the evening. I do have a laboratory for my experimenting and inventing- all quite legitimate at this time. I would recommend not entering it if you find it. I do have security equipment installed, and the brainbots can be a little …. unpredictable. "

"What about Minion?"

"In a... safe place. But his location really doesn't matter, does it, since he's never been convicted of anything in the courts?"

"Point taken."

Roxanne suddenly stood up. "This has all been very interesting, but I'm tired, and I'm ready to go to bed. Metro Man, I want you out of my apartment, _now._ But we're willing to continue this conversation. Let's say, at the schoolhouse, Saturday morning, 10 AM, because I do not want to get up too early on my day off. You, Metro Man, can provide the coffee."

Megamind spoke up, "I'll bring doughnuts."

Roxanne decisively walked over to her balcony door, and held it open for Metro Man. It looked like it was a real struggle for him to leave Roxanne in Megamind's presence, something he'd never done before. But he left.

Once he was gone, Megamind asked Roxanne, "Why did you imply to Metro Man that we had…. you know…. when we haven't?"

"I just wanted to give him something to chew on. And maybe it'll keep him from showing up at my apartment unannounced in the future."

"You're sure you're not disappointed...?"

"Sweetheart, I've told you, I can be patient. We'll wait until you're ready. But what were you thinking, implying to Metro Man that you spend the night here most evenings? That's not true either."

He chuckled. "You wanted to keep him away from your apartment; I want to keep him away from the Lair. We don't know yet how far we can trust him with our secrets. And I don't want to have to move everything in the Lair again. It's such a bother."

After a pause, Megamind said, "I suppose I should go, too."

"Oh, no, you're not leaving now." And she let her robe fall to the floor.

"But you said you were tired."

"That was for his benefit. I also said I was ready to go to bed. I had plans for this evening. You're not the only one who can be obsessive about plans."

"I thought you said you could be patient."

"I will continue to be patient. I just want to try pushing the boundaries a little."

"Temptress." And Megamind allowed her to lead him back to the bedroom.

* * *

><p>The coffee, doughnuts, and the coffee cake made by Minion were spread out on the teacher's desk. Roxanne was standing by the chalkboard, saying, "So this is a brainstorming session. Just throw out any ideas you come up with, no matter how silly they seem. And no one can criticize anyone else's ideas, at least not until we've written down every idea we can think of."<p>

After a long silence, Roxanne sighed. "All right, just to get you started…" she turned to the board and wrote 'move to another country,' followed by 'wear disguises continually.'

Megamind protested, "I thought we already ruled those out."

Roxanne answered him, "I said it was just to get you started. The whole point of brainstorming is to think of every possible idea. Don't worry about whether it's a good idea at first; it's just to get your brain thinking. After we can't come up with any other ideas, then we'll start discussing the pros and cons, and try to narrow it down to the best ideas. So, what else?"

Eventually they came up with:

- faking one or both of their deaths;

- contriving a new master villain that Megamind would defeat, either by himself, or in conjunction with Metro Man, to show Megamind in a new, heroic light;

- Metro Man would vouch for Megamind's reformation at a public press conference;

- Megamind would pretend to be Metro Man with the disguise watch, and fill-in for Metro Man's functions for several months; have the disguise watch suddenly not function during a critical incident, and reveal himself to have been the hero all along;

-Megamind would offer all his best inventions with military applications to the Defense Department, and try and extract a presidential pardon in return.

-Megamind would get a high profile attorney who would appeal his convictions on some technical legal grounds, such as the fact that, as a true 'alien,' the country's rules didn't apply to him.

"All right," Roxanne said. "Now let's discuss the pros and cons."

Megamind looked uncomfortable. "You know, I've been trying so hard to be 'good' for the last four months. To involve myself in a plan using some type of deception, well, it feels like going backward, rather than being the person that I want to be."

"That leaves the legal fight, bartering for a pardon, and the court of public opinion," summarized Roxanne.

"What do you mean by that last one?" inquired Megamind.

"It means, if we can convince the general public that you are now a good guy, that you've truly reformed, and it would be to the public welfare for you to be allowed to get on with your life, then we could possibly extract some kind of compromise with the legal system where you would get probation, or do community service, or something like that instead of having to go back to prison. Metro Man vouching for you publicly could be part of that."

"Well, the legal fight could take a very long time. I'm not sure I want to go through that," said Megamind. "I think bartering for a pardon plays to my strengths."

"I work in the media; I ought to be able to figure out a way to use it to your benefit." Roxanne sighed. "I'll just have to put more thought into it. I don't know that we can do anything more for today. Why don't we call it quits for now?" The men agreed.

As Roxanne walked toward the exit, Megamind signaled with his eyes for Metro Man to remain. Approaching his former rival, Megamind whispered, "You may have won all our battles, but in the end, _I _got the girl."

Metro Man responded, "I think you got the better end of the bargain."

"I know I did," Megamind retorted with a smirk.

* * *

><p><strong>AUTHOR NOTE:<strong>

**If you enjoyed this, a review and/ or feedback would be greatly appreciated.**

Borrowed quotes from the movie, The Princess Bride and the book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.


	4. Reputation Reform

**Redemption**

DISCLAIMER: DreamWorks owns the sandbox; I'm just playing in it.

AUTHOR NOTE: Thanks to nineteennintytwo for beta reading this chapter, and giving advice. Also, thanks to all past reviewers of the story arc, especially the most recent chapters.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4. Reputation Reform<strong>

They were having lunch together on Roxanne's balcony. Julia looked her friend in the eyes, and commented, "You've seemed really happy these last several months."

Roxanne replied, "I have been. Life's been great."

"Can I assume it's because of 'Michael?'"

Roxanne looked puzzled, then laughed. "Oh, yes, 'Michael.' I forgot about the pseudonym."

"Roxanne, I'm truly glad you've found someone to be with. I know you say he makes you happy. And I don't mean to pry into your business-"

"But you're going to anyway." Roxanne smiled tolerantly to show she wasn't angry.

"I'm sorry, but how can a relationship that requires all this secrecy be good in the long run? Won't you eventually want to share a home, maybe have children? Don't you at least want to be able to go places in public? When Tina told me about the scuttlebutt going around the station a few months ago, about you being seen around town with a few different men, and I asked you about it, you said it was a ploy to throw people off the scent. Isn't it crazy to have to do that?"

"Yes, and that's why we're not doing it anymore. Mostly we do things out of the public eye. But at times he puts on a disguise, and sometimes I do, too. Sometimes it's even kind of fun."

Julia gasped. "You're kidding!"

"Look, it's my life. But we happen to agree with you about wanting an end to the secrecy. Actually, we're working to change the situation so we can go public with our relationship."

"So am I ever going to be introduced to this mystery man? Or do I have to wait for this plan of yours to happen first?"

"Funny you should ask that." Julia's face brightened. "I have a favor to ask, but it actually might be something that you'll thank me for."

"A favor for you that will be good for me?"

"I want to introduce you to someone who has an idea for a book. The favor is, you talk to him and see whether the idea is something your publishing company might be interested in. How it could be good for you is that I think the book could be a bestseller. I think it could be quite a coup for you to bring this author to your company."

"And the connection to Michael?"

"Michael _is_ the author. Well, he might need a ghostwriter or co-author, but the book is basically a memoir."

"In order to be introduced to your boyfriend, I'd meet the author if he was just Michael's second cousin or next-door neighbor."

"Now there is one condition: remember, I told you, that he is actually someone well known. You have to promise me on everything you hold dear that you're not going to tell anybody about him if you decide the book is not a viable idea."

"I promise, absolutely."

"I think," Roxanne offered, "that you will decide within 10 seconds that this is a really bad idea, or you're going to want to talk to him for hours. So when would you like to do this?"

"Friday evening at 7:00 PM? Since he's a potential author, I can take you both out to dinner and put it on my expense account."

"Paying for dinner is not necessary, but if you want to, sure. But it's going to have to be take-out. We're having this meeting at my place. He's not comfortable doing it out in public."

"Oh, right, famous person. Works for me."

* * *

><p>Julia was punctual, as always, and bearing takeout from <em>La Boheme<em>. Once Roxanne let her into the apartment, she looked around and said, "Michael's not here yet?" Roxanne didn't answer her, but instead invited her to sit down in the living room, while Roxanne went to store the food in the kitchen. Returning with two glasses of wine, Roxanne sat down next to her on the couch and handed Julia her drink.

"I want to tell you a few things about him before you meet him. His early life was difficult. His parents died when he was a little baby, and he spent his childhood being raised by people who were basically criminals. His physical appearance is … unique, and that led to him being ostracized when he was at school. He only had one good friend in his childhood, who also turned out to be his only friend for most of his adulthood. I told you already that he spent time in prison, and he's done some terrible things. But I truly believe that the bad choices he made mainly sprang from the way his childhood was, that there was no one to lead him in the right direction, and to help him believe in his own potential for goodness. You know me, Julia. Could you see me falling for someone who was truly evil?"

"No, of course not."

"All right, I'm going to introduce you to the man I love. He's nervous about this because he's afraid you will reject him. Remember, he convinced me that he's truly reformed. He's treated me extremely well in the last five months, and made me very happy. Please, try hard not to freak out."

"Roxanne, I'm a professional, remember? I'm used to dealing with all sorts."

Roxanne nodded, and went to her bedroom door. Opening it, she called, "Sweetheart, you can come on out now."

Megamind and Roxanne had debated back and forth about what he should wear, but he decided he was most comfortable wearing his new standard outfit: his traditional blue and black costume, minus the spikes, and including the new cape designed by Minion to be 'not evil' in appearance, but still impressive. Megamind insisted on wearing the new smooth gloves, saying, "I'm showing enough blue skin as it is."

As Megamind walked through the doorway, Roxanne announced, "Julia, this is my boyfriend, Megamind. Megamind, this is my old friend, Julia Winston." Megamind started to greet Julia, but hesitated when he saw the expression on her face.

Julia looked stunned, and wasn't saying anything. Then she glanced around the room, and questioned, "This is actually a really elaborate setup, right? You've got hidden cameras somewhere? Or is this some joke Tina put you up to?"

Megamind slowly walked toward her, and sat down at the other end of the couch from her. "No, Ms. Winston, this is not a joke or a prank. I'll admit, in the past, I developed rather a reputation for deception, but I've been trying very hard to be honest and truthful in the last five months. I don't want to be a villain or the bad guy anymore. What I want is to share a life with Roxanne. We, Roxanne and I, are hoping that by publishing my memoir, we could repair my reputation. It's part of a plan to convince the legal system that I've reformed, that there is no reason for me to spend the rest of my life in prison. Is this something you would care to discuss with me, or will you run screaming from the room? You are quite free to go if you wish: I have given up holding people hostage. Although, truth be told, Roxanne was the only one I ever kidnapped."

After a moment of silence, Julia laughed. "You've right, Roxanne, he's quite charming. Yes, I would like very much to discuss a possible book deal with you, Megamind."

* * *

><p>In the end, Julia negotiated a lucrative contract for Megamind. "Roxanne, you were right. My boss was ecstatic when I told her that I had the lead on a memoir by the famous Megamind. I got quite the bonus. And the timing is actually quite good. Megamind has been out of circulation long enough to generate a certain amount of curiosity about him, and there's been enough time since the last destructive battle with Metro Man that there's not as much hostility toward him. My boss has no problems with you being the co-author. Even though you have no experience writing a book, I know you sometimes write your own copy. But more importantly, your status as a local on-air celebrity will just add to the buzz about the book. How soon do the two of you think you can crank out the manuscript?"<p>

Roxanne laughed. "He started writing it the day after that dinner with you. He tends to be rather obsessive about his projects. When he latches onto an idea, he'll just work, work, work until he's done. He sometimes has to be reminded to eat and sleep. I'm currently gathering more information for him. I've already interviewed people in the prison, including the Warden, and some of the surviving guards and prisoners from when he was a child there. Tracked down a few kids from the school that he briefly attended. A girl named Cindy from that time provided some especially insightful anecdotes, and of course, Metro Man provided a lot of information and stories. It's hard to say how long it will take for it to be finished. I'll check with Megamind and get back to you."

"You must've been gathering the information for the book before you talked with me."

"Oh, yes. We felt most comfortable approaching you, but the plan had been to go to someone else if for any reason you turned us down. We're very eager for this to move forward. A lot of our hopes hinge on this. If we couldn't get a book deal, I was going to do a television exposé. I still might."

"Oh yes," Julia exclaimed. "Absolutely. That would be great for marketing, especially if it's timed to come out right before the book is released."

"Then I will make it happen. Oh, and just to confirm: You want us to continue to keep Megamind out of the public eye until the big TV interview the day the book is released, right?"

"That's the plan. We think it will help build the suspense for, and interest in, the book. Why? Does Megamind not want to stay under wraps that long?"

"Oh, quite the reverse. He would like to stay in hiding until we see the public reaction to the book, and preferably until he gets the full pardon he's negotiating for. I had to work to convince him he needs to participate in the publicity campaign in order for the book to serve its purpose. He's very concerned about the possibility of being sent back to prison once he appears in public. But we're addressing that issue also."

* * *

><p>"This is Jeremy Holt."<p>

"Mr. Holt, this is Roxanne Ritchi. I got your number from your sister, Tina."

"Miss Ritchi, of course I'm familiar with you, not just because you're friends with my sister but from your reporting work. What can I do for you? Are you looking for information for a story?"

"Actually, Mr. Holt, I'm trying to line up a high-power criminal attorney for a friend of mine. Tina thought you might be able to recommend someone."

"Would your friend be willing to come in for a meeting? We could discuss some of the initial details, and that would help determine my recommendation."

"We can arrange that. Tell me what times you have available."

* * *

><p>They almost had a fight about it. Megamind insisted on wearing his dehydration gun; Roxanne was horrified.<p>

"We're trying to present you as having reformed, as no longer a criminal. I don't think bringing a gun is going to enhance that."

"This is not about presentation. This is about insurance. I don't know these people. I don't know how well we can trust them."

"I told you: you're protected by attorney-client confidentiality. Their code of ethics prevents them from revealing incriminating information that their clients share with them."

"Yes, and I've read all the things people say about lawyers on the Internet. Besides, when using the disguise watch, the gun will not be visible. And I'll be wearing the cape, so when I drop the disguise and appear as myself, I can conceal the weapon. What if one of them tries to contact the police? Or one of them just... freaks out? You know dehydration doesn't cause any permanent damage."

"Oh, all right." Roxanne sighed. "But you can't wear the gloves."

"Why not? I wasn't going to wear the ones with the spikes. You know I've given up the spikes. The outfit just doesn't look... complete without the gloves."

"I thought this wasn't about presentation."

"The gun was not about presentation. The _gloves _are about presentation. Looking impressive doesn't mean looking like a criminal."

"I thought I explained this to you before. You're going to need to shake hands. They'll be able to tell that the texture's not right if you're wearing gloves. And you can't wear a disguise in which the person is wearing gloves. That won't look right either. Shaking hands is a human thing; it's about showing that you're not dangerous, that you're friendly, and open. When meeting someone in a business setting, it's traditional to shake hands- _with no gloves on_."

"Well…. if it's a tradition… all right."

Roxanne also told him he couldn't use the pseudonym he'd used at the restaurant. "I won't be able to introduce you as Mr. Bleu with a straight face. If you want to use a color, how about Mr. Black?"

Megamind decided that was acceptable, since black was a power color. And he noted, "Oh yes, and there was a character named Black in that famous children's series, thought to be evil but turns out to be good. Minion loves those books, and the movies. Alright, Black it is."

* * *

><p>Since shaking hands wasn't something he had any experience with in his earlier life, Roxanne had him rehearse over and over until he could do it without hesitation. Sometimes he would interrupt the training by taking her outstretched hand and bringing it to his lips. She kept telling him, "Stop that. You're supposed to be practicing. And don't you dare do that if the attorney we're introduced to is female."<p>

He assured her, "I don't think I would mistake anyone else's hand for yours."

* * *

><p>After what they went through discussing the gun, Megamind almost didn't bring up the spybots with Roxanne. Then he thought about how she would probably react if she found out later, and decided to talk with her. "I want Minion monitoring the conversation. He could send the brainbots to rescue us if necessary."<p>

"You really are paranoid."

"It's not paranoia if they're really out to get you. Law enforcement has been after me all my adult life. And attorneys are part of the legal system."

"Oh, all right," she said with exasperation. "Can we keep it to just the dragonfly brooch?"

"The brooch and two spybots."

Roxanne sighed. "Deal."

* * *

><p>Megamind was quite nervous about the upcoming interview with the attorney. Because of this, they had agreed that Roxanne was to start the conversation, and Megamind would chime in as he felt more comfortable. He was wearing the disguise he'd worn on their second anniversary date, mainly because he liked the outfit: the black suit with the bright blue tie sporting the tiny lightning bolts. After the obligatory introductions with handshakes, Mr. Holt took them into his office, and Megamind (no<em>, Mr. Black<em>) and Roxanne were seated across from him at his desk. Megamind felt on display, and couldn't keep from fidgeting. He had refused the offer of a beverage, while Roxanne had accepted the coffee.

Roxanne began, "Mr. Black had been imprisoned with a long sentence. He broke out a while ago, but since then has engaged in no criminal activity." (They had agreed to ignore the spying and kidnapping behavior that Megamind engaged in since his last prison break. That was between the two of them, and had resulted in consequences that were satisfying to both of them. The legal system didn't need to know about it.)

She continued, "He doesn't want to return to prison. He has reformed, and is only interested in continuing to do his scientific research and inventing that both give him a career, and provide a benefit to society. We are here to examine how the legal system might help him in that goal. He would like to get his convictions overturned, perhaps on a technicality, or obtain a pardon, or some form of release with probation, possibly providing community service."

Mr. Holt suggested, "You might have to return to prison temporarily-"

"Not acceptable," interrupted Mr. Black.

There was silence. "All right," responded Mr. Holt. "What were your convictions?"

Roxanne hesitated, but Mr. Black answered, "Inciting panic, destruction of private property, destruction of public property, assault and battery, attempted murder... oh, yes, and kidnapping." For some strange reason he smiled and looked at Roxanne. "How could I forget that?"

Mr. Holt goggled at him. After a pause, he offered, "That's quite a list. And _how _were you thinking that you might be able to stay out of prison?"

Mr. Black steepled his fingers, and looking over them at Mr. Holt, stated, "You're the expert. That's why we're here. _You_ tell _us_."

Roxanne waded into the fray. "One idea we had is that he didn't have proper counsel at the prior convictions. He always represented himself."

"Which meant," Mr. Black offered, "that there was no defense. I never tried to defend myself; most, if not all, of what they accused me of was true. So I didn't contest the charges. Also, I knew I would just break out of prison eventually."

Mr. Holt's eyes were getting larger. "How many times did you break out of prison?"

Roxanne hurriedly interceded, "Let's not get into that right now. Another possible defense we thought of it was his childhood. His parents both died when he was a baby, and he was raised by some criminals who influenced his life choices."

Mr. Holt cleared his throat. "Hmm. I'm definitely feeling out of my league here. I'm going to suggest we bring in the very best we have in the firm. Let me see if she's available now."

As Mr. Holt put his hand to the phone on his desk, Megamind discreetly fingered the handle of his gun. He still wasn't sure he trusted this stranger. But the man only asked for somebody named Elizabeth, and apparently she would be joining them shortly. Megamind was tired of sitting, and stood up and walked over to the windows, while Roxanne made small talk with Mr. Holt.

Finally, a tall slender woman with red hair arranged in a bun entered the room. Mr. Holt made the introductions, and Mr. Black started upon hearing the attorney's name. "Elizabeth Bennett? That name sounds familiar…. Oh, it's the female lead in that DVD that Minion likes so much. Right, Roxanne?"

Roxanne hurriedly explained, "Minion is the name of a friend of his."

Ms. Bennett laughed. "Another Jane Austen fan, just like my mother. Don't worry; it comes up almost every time. It was almost enough to make me want to change my name when I got married, but not quite."

They all sat down again, and Mr. Holt started to summarize the information he had received from Roxanne and Mr. Black, but the latter interrupted him. "Ms. Bennett is supposed to be your best for this type of case, yes? I would like to conduct a little test, an experiment if you will. I want to present a hypothetical situation, and ask how Ms. Bennett would deal with it."

The attorney gave her consent, and Mr. Black got up and started to walk around the room. "You, of course, are familiar with the criminal genius, Megamind." They nodded their assent, and he continued. "Let's say that he wished to stop his villainous lifestyle, but did not want to return to prison. The man was brilliant in creating devices of destruction and mayhem. Let's say he wished to take that talent for invention and use it for good in society. The man is clearly from another planet and obviously doesn't have citizenship here. What could you do for him?"

Ms. Bennett paused to consider, and then began to outline a series of possible legal maneuvers. Roxanne took notes, but Mr. Black continued to wander around the room as the attorney spoke, at times turning his back to them, looking out the windows as he fiddled with his fingers. Roxanne wondered if he was getting nervous again. When Ms. Bennett was finally done with her presentation, Mr. Black looked at Roxanne, and asked her what she thought. She replied, "I'm impressed. I think we should trust them with the case."

"I concur. The question is," and now Mr. Black turned to look at the two attorneys, but most pointedly at the female attorney, "whether Ms. Bennett and the firm would wish to take on the case. You have said what you would do to defend Megamind. Would you be willing to actually assist such a villain?"

Ms. Bennett responded, "It would be a fascinating challenge. Yes, I would like to do it."

"Then you will get your wish," Mr. Black announced, twisting the dial on his watch. As his appearance changed, both attorneys stood up and backed up a few steps with their mouths hanging open. Roxanne thought,_ the little blue sneak. He brought the gloves._

* * *

><p>"Hi, Jeremy, it's Tina. So, what did you think of Roxanne's friend?"<p>

"Extremely interesting. Quite surprising. In fact, probably the most surprising interview with a client I've ever had."

After a pause, Tina pressed him, "So what else?"

Jeremy sighed. "Come on Tina. You know: attorney-client privilege. I can't share anything with you. I don't even tell my wife things about my clients."

"Oh, come on, Jeremy. How about just some yes and no questions? Like, did he have kind of longish brown hair, wire rimmed glasses, a slender build, and about average height?"

There was a pause. Then Jeremy laughed. "Oh – my - God. You've never met him. You don't know who he is. Now I'm really impressed with Roxanne Ritchie. Not only can she unearth other people's secrets, she's very good at keeping her own."

Tina pleaded, "How about just a little hint?"

Jeremy laughed again. "Not on your life."

Tina sighed, "I know, you're worried about being disbarred for breaking the ethics code."

"Disbarred? That's the least of my concerns. I would worry about what Roxanne's 'friend' would do to me."

Tina gasped, "What in the world are you talking about?"

"No way. You're getting nothing more out of me. Goodbye, Tina."

* * *

><p>They were meeting in Roxanne's apartment again, reviewing strategy. "So, how's the book coming along?"<p>

Megamind put his hands over his face. "Arrgh, I'm having writer's block. The first several chapters were relatively easy; the middle was harder, but I got through it. Now, however, I'm stuck."

Roxanne patted him on the shoulder. "You need to take a break. Come on, later on you can give me another hoverbike lesson. We can go for a ride in the country. Anyway, how is Plan C coming along?"

"The military is very interested in several of my inventions. I'm having second thoughts about sharing some of them. They really can be quite dangerous in the wrong hands. But I have a few items I'm willing to share for certain. My intermediaries tell me, though, that the president is waffling about a full pardon. I think he's waiting to see how the book affects the public's attitude toward me."

"Well, we're not dependent on any one thing. But the one that's most important, the book, over that one we have the most control."

"Great, no pressure about my writing, is there?"

"Don't worry; you have Julia and me to help you. You have a great story to tell. If we get completely stuck, Julia can bring in a ghost writer."

"I'm better with inventing and building machines. You're the one who's the expert with words."

"I'm officially your co-author. I've been letting you do all the writing because I thought that's what you wanted. So I'll come over tomorrow to help you, or would you rather come here?"

"Oh, come to my place. All your research material, the recordings, the pictures, the notes, it's over there already. It covers a good part of my planning area. That way I don't have to move it."

"Fine. That's settled. So what shall we do for fun? I think we both need a break."

"I like what you said earlier. Change your clothes, let's go ride recklessly fast."

"And then come back to my place afterward?"

"As you wish."

* * *

><p>(5 months later…)<p>

They were looking at the full-page ad in the magazine. In large bold print was the book's title:

**Redemption: How I Ended My Life of Villainy and Found My True Self**

Megamind grumbled, "I liked the title I came up with better."

Roxanne soothed him, "You know they used the one that did best in the focus groups. But, you must admit, they selected a great photo of you for the book cover."

"Well, I do look rather dashing, don't I? But I like the back cover photo better because you're in it, too."

"Of course, I am the co-author after all. And Metro Man wrote a flattering introduction, as well as a great cover blurb."

"As he should. He benefits just as much from my reputation reform as I do…. All right, not quite as much, but a lot."

"Are you nervous about the first TV interview?"

Softly, "Yes."

"I don't understand. You came across as arrogant, egotistical, and overconfident when you were a super villain. Why are you so….. self-doubting now?"

"Back then, I completely controlled the presentation. Also, back then, I was _acting _a part, a part, I remind you, in which I didn't care if people liked me. In fact, since I was a villain, I expected them to _dislike_ me, to _fear _me. Now I'm trying to be myself, like you keep telling me. And I need them to…. not exactly like me, but believe that I'm good, that I'm different, not bad, now. I need their support in order for us to accomplish my goal, our goal: to stay out of prison and be with you."

"I'm sure you'll be wonderful." After a pause, Roxanne added, "You _have _been practicing, haven't you?"

Megamind rolled his eyes. "_Me_tro… _Ci_ty."

"See, I knew you could do it."

A little while later, Megamind murmured, "I wish the interview wasn't on the 12th."

"Why is that?" He looked at her in surprise, and there was disappointment on his face.

"You don't remember."

She had hurt him. Oh no. What was important about that date? … Oh. "Of course, it's our anniversary. I'm sorry. We've just been so busy: finishing the book, the photo shoots, working on the details for the book tour, preparing my series of special reports."

"I would rather have spent the whole day with you. Even if we plan something for the evening, I'll probably be a wreck all day."

"I understand why you're nervous. There's a lot riding on the Plan. Or maybe I should say Plans. But Julia thinks the book is going to do really well, not just in sales, but in its purpose in changing your reputation. The advance copies have gotten good reviews. She's heard that you're starting to get a lot of sympathy because of your childhood experiences detailed in the book. She thinks people are going to finally recognize that all your so-called criminal activity had to do with the competition with Metro Man. You made a lot of scary threats, but you never killed anyone. A friend who writes for the newspaper tells me they're putting together a series on all your patented inventions and the benefits they provided to society, even if only indirectly. Like how some researchers figured out how to apply the science behind Typhoon Cheese to dealing with tsunami."

"But what if right after the interview and the press conference, some law enforcement official shows up and wants to haul me off to prison?"

"That's why the attorneys will be there, ready to file a motion for your release." But Megamind still looked distraught. "Do you want me to call Julia? Do you want me to ask her to reschedule everything?"

He sighed. "No, you're right; too much is riding on this. It's just one day. If I have to spend our anniversary in prison, well, we'll celebrate another day. It would probably be some kind of karmic justice anyway."

Trying to shake him out of his funk, Roxanne asked, "So what do you want to do for our anniversary?"

He gave a half smile. "I want to surprise you."

"Does this mean I'm going to be kidnapped again?" He laughed, and then grinned mischievously.

"Maybe. I'm not going to tell you." And it was her turn to laugh.

* * *

><p>He arrived on her balcony as darkness fell, and told her to dress for riding. He brought roses, of course, yellow and red. Minion had made several of her favorite items for the picnic, and Megamind took her to the same place where they'd had their first official date. The weather was a little cooler than one year ago, and he wrapped his cape around the two of them while they snuggled, lying on the blanket.<p>

"You were right."

Roxanne smiled. She lifted her head off his shoulder to look in his eyes. "I usually am, but what about this time?"

"The interview did go well. And no one tried to arrest me. Although it probably helped that we had that joint press conference with Metro Man right after the interview, announcing his retirement from crime fighting and being a Hero."

"You did a good job; I know you were nervous, but you only looked a little apprehensive. It made you look approachable, 'human-'"

"Ha, ha."

"Oh, you know what I mean, properly contrite and humble instead of an egotistical megalomaniac." After a pause she added, "I want you to know I have been very impressed with how much you've been willing to share in the book, and again in the interview. I know it's hard for you to trust people."

"Well, yes, I'll admit to some initial reluctance. Actually a lot of reluctance. But then I finally realized that the general public hated me, feared me, and saw me as evil. How could anything I write or say possibly make it worse? Well, except for the three months I was basically stalking you and plotting revenge and blackmail- there's no need for anyone else to know about that."

"Agreed."

"So, anyway, the sharing is uncomfortable, but it's not really about trusting people. It's that I'm willing to do anything for us to be together, to share a life together. I could probably cope with continued secrecy, but I would hate for you to have to do that. So we'll see what happens with the Plan."

After a pause she asked, "Did the protesters bother you?"

"Actually, there were fewer of them than I expected. I could understand the ones who were saying I should go back to prison- I was a villain who created a lot of destruction and terrorized the city for many years. I've expressed my apologies in the book, in the interview, at the press conference. I hope they will forgive me, but I completely understand if they cannot. Maybe with time they will."

"The foundation you're setting up, using proceeds from the book, offering compensation for people who can show they were hurt or had losses from your past actions as a villain; that might help," Roxanne offered.

"Perhaps. We'll see…. But the protestors with the signs saying I should go back to my home planet? Those idiots clearly haven't been paying attention to _any_ of the media. They didn't need to read my book to known I _have_ _no home_ to return to, even if I had a way to do it." He dismissed them with a wave of his hand. "But were _you_ upset about the signs calling you a traitor to your species? We agreed to include our relationship in the book, because falling in love with you was the main impetus of my changing. But it's opened you up to all sorts of criticism."

"Well, the station certainly doesn't care. It's good for ratings."

"I wasn't asking about your employer, I was asking about _you_. I worry about…your feelings, your reactions."

"I really don't care about the attitude of a bunch of ignorant, prejudiced people. And you don't have to worry about it affecting my feelings toward you." She kissed him, and caressed his ears, just in case he needed reassurance.

Once he was able to refocus his mind on their conversation, Megamind continued, "I'm… happy to hear you're not upset about that. Um, I did have some questions about a different group of people. I was surprised by the, what did you call them, the Guppies, the Gruppies?"

"Groupies."

"Yes, the Groupies. Those girls (well, they were mostly girls), they were very strange. All the screaming is supposed to be a sign of approval, you say?"

"Yes."

"Hmmm. All the time I tried to make you scream, and you didn't, is that why? You didn't want me to think you approved of me?"

"Ha, no, that was just me being defiant, not letting you control me."

"That's what I thought at the time. And when some of them yelled that they loved me, how could they? They don't really know me, even if they have read the book already."

"Well, some young people tend to be extreme in their emotions. They get obsessed with a celebrity for a while; then they'll move on to something else."

"Oh, sort of like a temporary crush."

"Yes, but on an unobtainable famous person, not someone possible."

"But why would they form a crush on me? I was a villain, and very obviously an alien, a _blue-skinned_ alien."

"You mean besides the fact that you're brilliant, a genius, incredibly good looking, and witty?" she teased him.

"Alright, you have a point, but what about the villain and alien aspects?"

"Oh, a lot of girls and young women have kind of a thing for 'bad boys,' and the alien part? Well, that just makes you "exotic."

"And exotic is good?"

"It can be, to a lot of females."

"What about being blue?"

"Well, besides being a popular primary color, it's just part of being exotic and alien."

"Hmm. You once admitted you did some flirting with me when you were my hostage. Were you attracted to me as a 'bad boy,' an exotic alien, or for some other reason?"

Roxanne was glad it was dark so he couldn't see her blush. "I think it was more your brilliance, and your witty and funny conversation. Well, maybe a little of the bad part. But anyways," she said, changing the topic, "how do you feel about the Groupies?"

"I suppose the enthusiasm is nice in a way. It's good to be liked. A positive attitude toward me is what we wanted after all. But the _degree _of enthusiasm is unnerving. I don't think I would want to run into a group of Groupies in a dark alley at night. I would be tempted to dehydrate them all. Not good for my new reputation."

"No, probably not."

"I'm glad you're going on the speaking tour with me, that your station gave you the time off to do it. It will be nice to spend more time together, and have you by my side to deal with the hard questions."

"I'm looking forward to it, too."

They lay together for a while longer. Then Megamind pulled them both into a sitting position. He put his arms around her, and kissed her gently. Then he pulled away and stated, "I have a gift for you, but I'm not sure if you'll want it." Before she could speak, he put a finger to her lips. "Wait…. It's been a year. It's been wonderful, and life changing. Nine months ago, I asked you about renewing our contract, and you said 'yes, indefinitely.' I want to change the terms." Holding her left hand with his right, he looked into her eyes and said, "I want _forever._ Roxanne, you know that I love you. Will you marry me?" With his left hand he brought into view a ring sparkling with sapphires and diamonds.

Roxanne tried to think of something clever or witty, but she couldn't. She scanned her feelings for any hesitation, and decided there was none. So she simply said, "Yes," and kissed him.

* * *

><p><span>Epilogue<span>

As Roxanne and Julia predicted, the memoir sold well, and made the best seller list. There was continued controversy, of course: some people picketed and protested outside bookstores and the sites of the publicity tour, and others wrote outraged letters to the editor. It took a while for this to die down. But public opinion became mainly positive. The publication of the list of Megamind's patented inventions and their benefit to society seemed to help as much as the book. And some people were apparently influenced more by the 'romantic' story of the kidnapper and the hostage who fell in love, although a few critics still insisted it was just a case of Stockholm Syndrome or mind control. The attorneys' legal maneuvers and Metro Man's support kept Megamind out of prison until he eventually got his presidential pardon (although the public never was told the full extent of the inventions he provided to the military). Thus, in the end, their plan for the reform of Megamind's reputation and ensuring his freedom was successful.

And Megamind and Roxanne? Well, no relationship is without its problems and adjustments, and theirs had unique complications. But ultimately their love was strong enough to weather the storms- but that's another story.

* * *

><p><span>AUTHOR NOTES:<span>

**If you liked this, feedback and reviews would be appreciated,**

When I got the idea for the first story ("Revenge") I expected it would be my one and only story, especially since I had never written any fan fiction before. As I wrote, I started to get more ideas for a continuation of my alternate reality, which turned into my trilogy. I expected the latter to be my first and last written fan fiction effort. Then I got an idea for a short, stand alone piece. While working on the rough draft for that, another story idea appeared in my mind. I think I now understand the concept of plot bunnies. I have no idea how many stories I will write until the muse abandons me (or I stuff it in the closet so I have more time for the rest of my life), but let's see what happens.


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